Alan Webb, the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials 1500 champion who set a new U.S. two-mile record of 8:11.48 on June 4 at the Prefontaine Classic while placing second to Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, will race at 1000 meters this Saturday against David Krummenacker, Derrick Peterson and others at the Reebok Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island in New York. Webb, 22, who now resides in Fairfax, Virginia, set personal bests of 3:50.83 for the mile, 3:32.73 for 1500 meters, and 1:46.53 for 800 meters in 2004. In April, he won the 5000 at the Penn Relays in a personal best of 13:30.25. He holds American high school mile records outdoors (3:53.43) and indoors (3:59.86). Webb spoke to reporters in New York on Thursday:

On the 1000-meter distance: "It's a debatable thing. Is it a long 800 or is it a fast 1500? I guess that's sort of the appeal to me in running 1000, especially earlier in the year. It makes the distance arbitrary. I'm here to compete and try and win the race. When it comes down to it, that's what track's all about trying to win. Anyway you look at it, it's going to be a challenge. I feel it'll be a challenge, a good way to mix things up...it's probably more of a long 800, I guess is how I would look at it."

On whether Krummenacker, who's run two 1:45s for 800 in 2005, should be considered Saturday's favorite: "Dave has already won well in the 800 this year, and in his career, has had a lot more experience than I have, especially in big 800-meter races AND 1500-meter races. He's also run very well at the 1500-meter distance. So this is probably right up his alley. He has the American record for the 1000 indoors, so obviously this is a distance a little more familiar to him. But again, it's just another great opportunity for me, just like it was last week. I knew (Eliud) Kipchoge had already run 7:28 and 7:30 (for 3000 meters) going into Pre, so I knew as long as I was anywhere close to him, I'd run fast, and that's pretty much exactly what happened. I didn't win, but I still set the American record. So I think I'm going to the same thing, just put myself out there and see where I am. Whether I'm the favorite or Dave's the favorite or anybody else--I know Derrick's said he wants to move up to the fifteen and he's had experience at the eight, so you could see he'd be ready to run a good 1000. You never know. I just want to compete and do well and the times will come."

On his running the Penn Relays 5000, the Prefontaine two-mile, the Reebok Grand Prix 1000, all events other than his 1500-meter specialty: "Last year, before USAs (the Trials), I needed two things. I needed the trials qualification and I also needed the "A" standard for the Olympic Games. Now I have both of those (the "A" will apply to August's World Championships in Helsinki), so before U.S. Championships, I don't necessarily need to go out and run a bunch of 1500s beforehand. I can run a 5K, I can run 800, I can run 3K, and then I can run a 1000. That way, I will have tested my strength and I will have tested my speed, so when it comes to the 1500, the pace won't be unfamiliar (the U.S. Championships will be his first outdoor 1500 of 2005)."

On how he felt after the Prefontaine two-mile: "I felt okay. That day, as soon as the race ended, I was definitely hurting. I went pretty deep on that one. But I recovered pretty well. A good hour after that, it wasn't too bad. The next day, the trip was long coming back from the West Coast. I didn't get back 'til midnight or 1:00 on Monday morning. So it was a little bit of a hard trip, but I've rested up the last few days... I'll be ready to go Saturday."

On the elite women at the Circle of Friends New York Mini 10K, who will travel over to the Reebok Grand Prix after their Saturday morning race: "I invite all of them to come over to the meet and have a good time. I wish those ladies the best of luck on Saturday morning. I love to hear stories like that, when a road race coincides with a track and field event and both are supporting one another. I think we need more of that, whenever we can go back and forth. A perfect example would be the New York City Marathon. Thousands and thousands (36,000) of people run, but at the same time, maybe a track and field meet might not be jam-packed every single time. I think that we'll have a great turnout this weekend, but I've definitely been to my fair share of track and field meets where the stands weren't exactly packed to the brim. So I always like to hear about other runners supporting other runners."

On what his 8:11.48 two-mile tells him: "It tells me that I'm very strong. I ran pretty well at Penn, but I guess you could say it was more of a tactical type race for the 5000. I wasn't really, really sure who I'd stack up when I was really pushed. It shows me that I'm as strong as I've ever been. We'll find out this weekend if I'm as fast as I've ever been. It also tells me that I hopefully have the possibility of moving up in distance) in the future. I started out as a cross country runner, so I have no fear of moving up--or moving down."

On the 2004 Olympics: "There were so many things that I did even before the Trials that were special and career-momentous things that happened. I got the Olympic "A" standard, I PR'ed for the first time since high school... I made my first Olympic team. After that, emotionally and physically, the season was just getting longer and longer. By the time I got to Athens I was probably a little tired, certainly a little mentally drained. My trip over there was very tiring. Coupled with that, I didn't run a smart race. You put all that together, ninth place, I'm out in the first round. It happened. I'm young and I know I have so many things ahead of me that I can look forward to. Just the steps that I made least year, I was so pleased with the way I finally took a step forward. Even though I didn't do well in Athens, I knew that I was moving in the right direction."

On his sometime training partner Chris Lukezic of Georgetown, who's in the 1500 at this week's NCAA Championships: "I see Chris all the time at the track, on the trails, wherever he may be. Jesse O'Connell, one of his former teammates, is one of my roommates now; we live in the same house... It definitely helps to have the two of us working together when we can, when it fits."

On his recent discussion with former high school phenom and 1964 Olympian Gerry Lindgren: "We talked about running and how difficult it is sometimes. You work so hard any year to get to a level where you run fast. It's great to run fast, but what am I going to do to beat myself now? How am I going to get to that next level? How am I going to take off those seconds; it gets harder and harder and harder and harder. " It seems arbitrary.

(People ask) 'Alan, what's your best time in the mile?'

'I've run 3:50.'

'Well, what's the world record?'

'Oh, 3:43.'

'Oh good, that's only seven seconds.'

"Those little seconds get harder and harder. We (he and Lindgren) just talked about how it's really difficult to find those new ways to stimulate your body and keep yourself motivated and all those issues."

On Bernard Lagat's U.S. citizenship and his future status as teammate and rival: "I think it's a great thing. It'll definitely be a positive for U.S. middle distance running. Besides the obvious impact it'll have at any World Championships or Olympics or even on the European or U.S. track circuit, (there is) just his leadership and just having somebody around that's run and will run at the highest level.... In the future, you'd have to run against him to make a World Championships. You'd just have that little bit more experience against guys you know you'd see in the World Championships final, not just the U.S. final.... It bridges that gap a little better. That way, when I warm up for my World Championship prelim, I'm not thinking to myself 'oh, man, I don't know any of these guys, I haven't raced any of them .' I'm like 'well, I raced Bernard two weeks ago at U.S. Championships. I did okay against him there. I should do just fine.'"

After mixing cross country (sixth at the long course World Cross Country), track (fifth at the Olympic Games 10,000), and the roads (numerous world class wins) in 2004, Lornah Kiplagat has decided to become a pure road racer for 2005. At Saturday's Circle of Friends New York Mini 10K, she looks to regain the title she won in 2003 in 31:13; she also ran 30:44 in 2002 behind Asmae Leghzaoui's course record 30:29. Thus far in 2005, Kiplagat won the World's Best 10K in 32:11, the Rotterdam Marathon in 2:27:36, her sixth consecutive title at the Britannic Asset Management Women's Run 10K in 31:44, and the BUPA Great Manchester 10k Run in 31:28. She ran just one track race, a 5000 in Hengelo where she was sixth in 15:10.26, "not my season's highlight" as she states.

Runners World Online: You had a wanted a fast win at Rotterdam. How was it for you?Lornah Kiplagat: Not so good. To win is important but I was not that happy with the time. Not as I had expected.

RW: Because...LK: The weather was terrible. It was cold and rainy. Not many people ran fast there.

RW: Thus, you were able to recover so quickly and begin training again.LK: I did not go deep, so, yes I was back very soon. It just felt like a hard training run.

RW: Welcome back to New York. You have a growing affinity with this city.LK: Yes, I have many friends and fans here, it is very nice for me to race here.

RW: For the Mini, do you have any thoughts on the course record?LK: Wow, that's a bit fast, what is it? 30:29. No, I am not thinking of those things. Just to have a good race, and have fun. I don't know if I am ready for such a fast time right now.

RW: How is your current form. How are you feeling going into the race?LK: It has been good, I am very ready. All the workouts have been going well.

RW: Are there any names in the Mini that you think are strong this year?LK: (Jelena) Prokopcuka is strong, and she is getting stronger with every race. And there is Hilda (Kibet), she needs only some experience. You know this is her first international season. She ran very well in Manchester and is showing that she will soon break through to the top level.

RW: Is she your genuine cousin, or a 'Kenyan' cousin?LK: The real one. She is the daughter to my aunt Grace. She also has a sister who was number two in the world junior 1500 meters in Poland a while back, called Jebiwott Kibet.

RW: So timewise, what are you predicting for Saturday?LK: With the weather (nearly 90 degrees at the time of the interview Thursday), you can never know. A win would be nice. That's what I will be looking for.

RW: You have been racing for a decade. Is the fire as intense now as it used to be?LK: Even more so. I am having a lot of fun, and you know, coming to try to win is a lot different from coming just to run as I did when I first ran the Mini in 1997. In the last three years, there has not been a lot of racing due to the preparations for track, and I missed it (competition). I like to be racing. It feels good.

RW: You just announced that you won't run the World Championships 10,000 in Helsinki. Why?LK: There is a lot of pressure with track running, and also I don't like to practice so much on the track, which is necessary for competition. When training for the Olympics I was every other day on the track and I did not like it. Besides, it feels too soon to begin another track buildup, and again, there is the lack of competitions when training for the track. However, I might do the European Championships next year, and then of course I will be again doing the long build up for the next Olympics.

RW: So what are your plans for the rest of the year?LK: The World Half Marathon Championships in Edmonton, a fall marathon, and the European Cross Country Championships (that will be held in Holland, Lornah's adopted country). I will just 'jump' into that race, I might do one short test race first over cross country. Then of course the road races, like next is Peachtree, and I will be doing Falmouth.

RW: What would mean more to you--to win the New York City Marathon, or to run a sub-2:20?LK: Definitely to win New York, that is my main goal. I mean a time is a time, and now that the barrier has been broken, it is not a big deal. I think it was more of a mental thing. I mean, who thought that Japanese woman (Yoko Shibui 2:19:46) would do it at Berlin last year? The marathon is an event where time does not matter. The history of the marathon is winning, right? To win New York is for always, and a time--well, it can be broken.

RW: Paula Radcliffe last year completed New York's triple crown--winning the Fifth Avenue Mile, The Mini, and the ING New York Marathon. Have you run a mile race?LK: I did not know about this. Yes, I have run 4:26. I will be in Boulder at that time (of the Fifth Avenue Mile, September 23), so it could be something. I have not heard about the triple crown but it would be nice.

RW: With the return of Tegla Loroupe to New York, people are asking, "Tegla can you make it six wins?" Are you chasing her record of five Mini victories that she holds with Grete?LK: The other year I came to America and won Puerto Rico, Falmouth, Peachtree, and the Mini, and this had never been done before. Someone might say "I want to do that now, too." If it comes (five wins) then I'll of course be happy, but it is not something I am chasing for. I come to race when I am at my best, so I come to win. It is not something I think about, I am not pressuring myself, what comes... comes.

RW: How is your camp in Iten, Kenya coming along?LK: Very good. With the monies I won from the 'Run for Something Better' in New York last year I have put solar installations in all the houses. We are building a gym now and got an intern from an Amsterdam school to go over and help every six months. I was so worried this camp was not going to work, but it seems it is doing okay.

Mini footnotes: Benita Johnson accepts that this race will be tough considering she has had just one week of hard training since recovering from the London Marathon, "Yes, it took a lot out of me, so I'd be happy with a top three." Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia is running to win, yet she is a little concerned with the weather conditions. "If I have a weakness, then it is the weather. But the course is very good," she said after an inspection run on Thursday morning. Hilda Kibet is looking more for a good time than a finishing position, stating "I want to go sub-32:00. My last two 10k's have been there, but this one could be hard with the weather, but that's my goal."

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